The present invention relates generally to devices and apparatus for handling the longitudinal travel of tubular textile fabric and, more particularly, to an apparatus by which such fabric may be guided in its longitudinal travel substantially without circumferential torque of the fabric.
Textile fabric as conventionally produced on circular knitting machines is fabricated in a tubular or circular form in general conformity to the diameter of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine. As the knitted fabric is withdrawn from the needle cylinder of the knitting machine, it is flattened into a double thickness to facilitate winding of the fabric into a roll. In doing so, the fabric necessarily becomes creased at diametrically opposed sides of the fabric.
While such creases are accepted as being necessary in the manufacture of tubular fabric, it is highly desirable to avoid the formation of additional creases in the fabric. Thus, in the course of subsequent finishing and handling of a tubular fabric in which the fabric is unrolled for processing and then subsequently rewound, it is very important that the fabric be guided into and through the processing location with the opposing creases traveling substantially linearly and maintained at opposite side edges of the fabric to prevent formation of additional creases and also to facilitate re-winding of the fabric as precisely as possible along the same creases originally formed at the winding section of the knitting machine.
Unfortunately, no reliable mechanism, device, or system is known to exist by which the linear travel of tubular fabric creases can be precisely controlled against the natural tendency of tubular fabric to suffer longitudinal twisting or torquing of the fabric. Accordingly, the only conventional technique available for guiding tubular fabric into a processing station is to have two workers standing at opposite sides of the tubular fabric manually guide the creased edges of the fabric and make fine adjustments as necessary to counteract fabric twisting and torquing. As will be apparent, this procedure is labor intensive, costly, and, in any event, very inexact.